When you’re running ads on Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads), one of the most important parts of setting up a successful campaign is choosing the right keywords. If your keywords don’t match what people are actually searching for, your ads won’t show up, or worse, they’ll show up to the wrong audience. Let’s break this down into a simple, step-by-step guide that can help you pick keywords that actually work.
1. Start With Your Business Goals
Before jumping into keyword research tools, take a moment to ask yourself what you’re really trying to achieve. Are you selling a product? Driving traffic to a blog? Looking for local leads?
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Your goals will shape the kind of keywords you need. For example:
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Get my plan →- If you’re selling handmade candles, you might target “buy handmade candles” or “natural scented candles.”
- If you’re a local plumber, something like “emergency plumbing services near me” might make more sense.
Write down a few phrases or words that come to mind when thinking about your business. This gives you a solid starting point.
2. Use Microsoft’s Keyword Planner
Microsoft Ads offers its own keyword planning tool, and it’s actually pretty helpful. Plug in the phrases you brainstormed, and it will suggest related keywords along with data like:
- Search volume
- Competition level
- Estimated cost-per-click (CPC)
This gives you insight into what people are searching for and how competitive those searches are. It’s okay to choose some high-competition keywords, but mixing in lower-competition ones can help you stretch your budget further.
3. Look at Your Competitors
Type some of your keywords into Bing and see who shows up. What keywords are they targeting in their headlines or descriptions? You might get ideas for terms you haven’t thought of yet.
There are also tools like SpyFu or SEMrush that can give you a peek at your competitors’ keyword strategies, though those tools may have limited free options.
4. Think Like Your Customer
It’s easy to fall into the trap of using industry terms that your customers might not use. Always ask: “What would my customer type into the search bar?”
For instance, if you sell home insurance, your potential customers might search for “cheap home insurance” or “compare home insurance rates,” not “residential insurance policies.”
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Try to match their language, not yours.
5. Use Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search phrases like “best running shoes for flat feet.” These keywords often have lower competition and can bring in more qualified traffic people who are closer to making a decision.
Yes, they get fewer searches, but the people using them usually know what they want.
6. Group Keywords By Intent
Not all keywords serve the same purpose. Some are informational (“how to bake sourdough bread”), while others are transactional (“buy sourdough starter kit”).
Split your keywords into groups based on intent:
- Informational: Good for blog posts or top-of-funnel content.
- Transactional: Best for product pages or sales-focused ads.
Targeting the right intent helps make sure your ads match where the customer is in their buying journey.
7. Don’t Forget Negative Keywords
This is something many people overlook. Negative keywords help stop your ads from showing up for searches that aren’t relevant.
If you sell luxury watches, you might want to add “cheap” or “free” as negative keywords so your ad doesn’t appear for “cheap watches” searches.
This saves money and keeps your traffic more focused.
Final Thoughts
Picking the right keywords for Microsoft Ads doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s really about understanding your audience, using the tools available, and thinking about how people actually search online.
Take your time to test and adjust. You won’t get everything right the first time, and that’s okay. Keep refining your keyword list based on what’s working, and you’ll start to see better results over time.
Written by Uzair Kharawala
Partner at SF Digital Studios, a Google Premier Partner agency. Uzair has been helping businesses grow with Google Ads since 2002 and teaches it every week on YouTube.
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